Undisputed (video game)
| Undisputed | |
|---|---|
 Standard edition cover art featuring Canelo Álvarez | |
| Developer(s) | Steel City Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Deep Silver |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Undisputed is a boxing video game developed by Steel City Interactive and published by Deep Silver. The game was released on October 11, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Undisputed was announced in April 2020 as eSports Boxing Club before it was renamed in September 2022. Undisputed was released via Steam early access in January 2023 and is the first licensed boxing video game since 2011's Fight Night Champion.
Gameplay
[edit]Undisputed is a fighting game based on the sport of boxing. The game features over 70 licensed fighters, over 60 individual punches as well as 50 different attributes and traits.[2] The game also features a female roster, as well as licensed trainers, cutmen and managers.[3] The game features various mechanics such as "loose" and "flat flooted" movement, which affect the speed at which a fighter can move around the ring.
The game features 3 of the 4 major boxing organizations (World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF)) as well as The Ring magazine, with their versions of championships being available to win in the game's career mode, which allows players to become the undisputed champion.[4]
Development
[edit]Developer Steel City Interactive is based in Sheffield, England.[5] A trailer showcasing the game's movement was released in November 2020,[6] while a character creation preview was released in January 2021.[7] An extended gameplay showcase was released in March 2021 while Canelo Alvarez, the cover star for the standard edition of the game, was revealed in May 2021.[8]
In September 2022, it was announced that the game had been renamed to Undisputed,[9] after which the game was released into Steam early access on January 31, 2023. In November 2023, it was announced that Steel City Interactive had agreed a partnership with Riyadh Season,[10] before a release date announcement trailer was revealed during the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk event. The trailer featured Fury and Usyk along with cover star Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford.[11]
Release
[edit]Undisputed was released on October 11, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The standard edition of the game included a 1993 variation of Roy Jones Jr. as a pre-order bonus, while a World Boxing Council themed deluxe edition (featuring former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on the cover) included a fighter pack featuring Jaime Munguia, Regis Prograis, Jesse Rodriguez, Dmitry Bivol, Caleb Plant and Julio César Chávez, an "Era" pack consisting of young versions of Fury, Canelo Álvarez and Muhammad Ali along with 3 days early access.[12][self-published source]
Reception
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2024) |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PS5) 73/100[13] |
| OpenCritic | 43%[14] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 6/10[15] |
| Shacknews | 7/10[16] |
Undisputed received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[13] and 43% of critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic.[14]
Undisputed sold over one million copies soon after release exceeding expectations.[17] It was the first major boxing game since Fight Night Champion in 2011.[18] However, the game faced criticism for online issues like lag, leading to mixed reviews on Steam, with a promised update to address these concerns. However, the updates and patches promised to fix these issues failed to address the problems and steam reviews fell to Mostly Negative. Its authenticity and extensive roster of real-world fighters were praised.[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ Montani, Steven. "Inside Undisputed". SportsGamersOnline. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ Yemi, Frank (2024-05-24). "Undisputed Boxing Game Get Release Date, Brand New Features Unveiled". TheSportster. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Does Undisputed video game have women's boxers? Katie Taylor, Natasha Jonas & more headline historic list | Sporting News United Kingdom". www.sportingnews.com. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Undisputed Game: Career Mode February Launch". XP Gained | Gaming Patch Notes and Updates. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Steel City Interactive: Creators of Undisputed". Steel City Interactive. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "eSports Boxing Club Trailer - Currently in Alpha, But it Looks Real Good So Far..." Operation Sports. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "eSports Boxing Club Video - In-Depth Character Creator Preview". Operation Sports. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "eSports Boxing Club adds possible cover star Canelo Alvarez". RealSport101. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ Mazique, Brian. "ESBC Boxing Video Game Gets A New Name". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Riyadh Season partners with Sheffield games developer - Prolific North". 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ Mazique, Brian. "Undisputed Boxing Release Date, Cover Athletes And Pre-Order Info". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Buy Undisputed - Deluxe WBC Edition | Xbox". www.xbox.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ a b "Undisputed (PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews)". Metacritic. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "Undisputed Reviews". OpenCritic. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ McMahon, Andrew (October 7, 2024). "Undisputed Review". IGN. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ Tan, Nick (October 7, 2024). "Undisputed review: A fringe contender". Shacknews. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Taylor-Hill, Grant (2024-10-25). "Undisputed Has Sold One Million Copies, Now Esports Is On The Horizon". Insider Gaming. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ a b Rich Stanton (2024-10-25). "The boxing game that only exists because most big publishers won't touch the sport has now sold over a million copies". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-10-27.